Apple Watch won't face a ban as Apple wins the AliveCor patent case

Sagar, 08 March 2025

You might have heard of Apple's patent dispute with medical technology company Masimo, which resulted in a sales ban on Apple Watches with SpO2 sensors in the US. Well, the Cupertino-based tech giant was also involved in a legal battle with health tech company AliveCor, which could've led to an import ban of Apple Watch by the International Trade Commission (ITC), but that won't happen now since the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled in Apple's favor.

The US Court of Appeals has upheld a decision by the US Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), which said that AliveCor's EKG patents - the center of the dispute - are not patentable.

AliveCor had filed a case with ITC, claiming Apple had infringed on its EKG patents with the Apple Watch, and the ruling was in AliveCor's favor since ITC recommended an import ban on the sale of Apple Watches with the EKG feature in the US.

Apple Watch Series 9

Apple responded by appealing to PTAB that AliveCor's disputed patents be declared invalid, and PTAB found that the patents were indeed unpatentable. That decision is now upheld by the US Court of Appeals, dismissing AliveCor's ITC case against Apple.

"We thank the Federal Circuit for its careful consideration in this case. Apple's teams have worked tirelessly over many years to develop industry-leading health, wellness and safety features that meaningfully impact users' lives, and we intend to stay on this path," said Apple.

And here's what AliveCor said:

"We are deeply disappointed by the Court’s decisions this morning and that the Court did not review the available secondary considerations, which the ITC found to be persuasive in their finding of validity. Today's ruling does not affect our business or ability to continue innovating for our growing base of millions of customers.

These cases go beyond AliveCor; these cases represent every small company and every future innovation that is at risk of being suppressed by a Goliath. Our fight against Apple is necessary to preserve innovation, fair competition, and the ability to ensure that inventors - both today and of the future - have the IP protection needed to build and scale new technologies.

We will continue to explore all available legal options, including potential appeals, to defend our position that our patents are valid and that Apple infringed our intellectual property rights. As we move forward, our focus remains on transforming the industry with clinically validated, AI-powered solutions that help democratize access to cardiac care."

Via